By Arline and Sam Bleecker Chicago Tribune (MCT) Mark Twain once famously wrote, "The report of my death was an exaggeration." The same could be said of New Orleans.

By Alfred Borcover Chicago Tribune (MCT) As cruise lines continue to refine their offerings to meet 21st century lifestyle changes, vacations at sea are attracting a new generation of passengers - the GenXers

By Michael Martinez San Jose Mercury News (MCT) Q. I'm planning a trip to Aruba, but I understand there's a lot of hotel remodeling on Palm Beach. Where can I stay to avoid the construction? - K.S., Los Gatos, Calif.

By Fred Tasker McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) MONTALCINO, Italy - In the rolling hills of Tuscany, where the sun casts a yellow-green glow over the landscape, causing the grape vines and olive trees to vibrate with color, every good-sized hilltop sports an ancient rock castle.

By Jane Wooldridge McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) BLACK HILLS, S.D. - A hulking all-American woolly bearded bison grazes mere feet from the roadway, nibbling placidly on the grasses of Custer State Park. The burning temptation to pop out of the car for a quick photo is tempered by the beasts' tonnage and history: Despite their bulk weighing up to 2,000 pounds, bison have been known to spin and gore in the blink of a camera shutter. Rolling down a window is the wisest course.

The Dallas Morning News (MCT) MERCEDES RESUMES TOURS IN ALABAMA Free public tours of the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International assembly plant in Alabama's Tuscaloosa County have resumed after a three-year hiatus. The break came during the final stages of a $600million expansion of the assembly plant. From its opening in 1997 until 2004, more than 220,000 people visited the museum and toured the plant. To schedule a plant tour, call 1-888-286-8762 or 205-507-2253.

By John Bordsen McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) What's it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit.

By Jamie Dougher The Dallas Morning News (MCT) SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Riverwalk Vista makes sure its guests don't sleep alone. Each room comes with a betta fish. And although it's not a conversationalist, it adds a homey feel.

By Larry Bleiberg The Dallas Morning News (MCT) Forget the personals, here's a no-fail recipe to spice up your life: Visit Avery Island, La. For anyone who's ever added heat to gumbo, the spot needs no introduction. It's home to Tabasco hot sauce. But visiting Avery Island isn't just a factory tour; it's more like a journey to Tabascoland.

By Jay Clarke McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) It'll cost you a little bit more this year to visit some of our national parks, but you'll also get a little more for your money - new visitor centers, new exhibits, museums and other facilities.

By Larry Bleiberg The Dallas Morning News (MCT) MORGAN CITY, La. - It doesn't look like much from the outside. A warehouse on stilts, or maybe a giant trailer house perched over the water. But "Mr. Charlie" is a historic landmark, nonetheless.

By Chris Welsch Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (MCT) AMMAN, Jordan - The sedan crossed flat stretches of Jordan's dust-yellow desert, climbed barren ridges, descended through olive groves, then entered more desert, with heaps of tailings from phosphate mines rising on the horizon like new mountains.

By Jay Clarke McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) Romance is getting a big boost on the "Love Boat" cruise line. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the hit TV series "The Love Boat," Princess Cruises has set up a new Department of Romance and is launching a number of romantic pursuits aboard its ships.

By Carol Pucci The Seattle Times (MCT) Does the idea of a trip to the Pacific coast this time of year leave you longing to do more than fly a kite or storm watch?

By Tom Parsons The Dallas Morning News (MCT) If you have plans to travel in the coming months, you should be looking for fares now and acting fast when you see low-cost tickets.

The top destinations in 2006 (with 2005 rank in parentheses) of adventure and experiential travelers, based on purchases from iExplore.com:

What's it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit.

The herald of the change upending the traditional order of things along Kahuwai Bay came strolling up the beach one afternoon wearing tennis shorts, a polo shirt and a smirk.

Next stop, Antarctica, I muttered, as my little rental car swayed along the lonely, narrow road.

If I go down to Kapahulu Avenue on the last day of a trip to Honolulu, I am going to get into trouble. I may never make it back to the mainland.